Training camp and preseason are in the books, and the 2025-2026 NHL season will commence with a tripleheader Tuesday night. It’s time for The Hoosier Network’s NHL preseason power rankings.
1. Dallas Stars
There’s a case to be made that the Stars have the most talented roster in the league. They made a bold decision firing Pete DeBoer after leading Dallas to three straight Western Conference Finals appearances.
But Jim Nill, a three-time General Manager of the Year, knows this team is capable of winning it all. There is no way a power play unit, now consisting of Mikko Rantanen in the top group, finishes 17th again in power play percentage.
2. Vegas Golden Knights
Just two years removed from their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, the Golden Knights are as good as any team in the league. They are poised for another huge season.
Mitch Marner was acquired from Toronto in a sign-and-trade and was linked to an eight-year, $96M dollar deal. Marner, coming off a career high 102 points, will play on Vegas’ top line with superstar center Jack Eichel and left-winger Ivan Barbashev. Speaking of Eichel, he is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
3. Florida Panthers
Paul Maurice’s emphasis on physicality and aggression has led the Panthers to back to back Stanley Cup championships. No team is better built for playoff success than the Panthers. However, three-peating will come with its challenges.
Their captain, do-it-all center Aleksander Barkov, suffered a knee injury that will keep him out 7-9 months. Barkov, the back-to-back Selke Trophy winner, does everything for this team as a true two hundred foot player. In addition, Matthew Tkachuk is out until at least December with the injury he suffered in the 4 Nations Face-Off last February.
4. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have suffered back-to-back Stanley Cup losses at the hands of the aforementioned Panthers. Edmonton answered the biggest question surrounding the NHL right before the season by extending Connor McDavid, the undisputed best player in the world, to a team-friendly two-year deal with a $12.5 million AAV.
They will have to navigate around the loss of Zach Hyman, a 50-goal scorer two seasons ago, who is out for the start of the season with a wrist injury suffered last postseason. I’d keep an eye on the goaltender situation, as Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard and newcomer Connor Ingram could all compete for the starting spot this season.
5. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets’ sudden rise to the top of the NHL standings last season can be attributed to having the league’s top power play unit, which rose from 17th to first in one year. It also helped to have the Vezina and Hart Trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck, in net.
Top winger Nikolaj Ehlers left for the Hurricanes in free agency, while three-time Stanley Cup champion and Winnipeg native Jonathan Toews signed a one year contract. Who knows what they’ll get from Toews, who hasn’t played since 2023, but at the very least, it’s a great story and one worth following.
6. Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are as consistent as they come in the regular season, having finished top two in the Metropolitan Division each of the last four years. Carolina’s failures in the playoffs can be attributed to inconsistent goaltending..
New left winger Nikolaj Ehlers from Winnipeg will play on the top line also consisting of Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, which could very well be one of the best front lines in hockey. Jaccob Slavin, one of the best defensive defenseman in hockey, put himself on the map with his performance in the 4 Nations Face-Off as a member of the United States team.
7. Tampa Bay Lighting
The Lightning won back-to-back Stanley Cups to kick off the decade, and they are still a top contender in the East. Tampa Bay is very top heavy, and beyond the proven stars, the depth is quite questionable. They’re an aging team and the prospect pool isn’t that deep.
Keep an eye on Oliver Bjorkstrand, who was brought over in a trade with Seattle. Bjorkstrand, who has a career high of 57 points, is currently slated to play on the top power play unit. If he maintains that spot for the entire season, I’d expect the 30 year old to easily set a career high in points.
8. Colorado Avalanche
Ranking the Avalanche this low feels ludicrous. However, I cannot ignore their playoff disappointments since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2022. Going into 2025, Colorado is expected to be a favorite for the cup once again.
Nathan MacKinnon and Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar are two of the best in the world, and forward Martin Necas turned out to be a worthy return in the Mikko Rantanen trade. They have arguably the best defense pair in the league, with Devon Toews and the aforementioned Makar.
9. New Jersey Devils
I really wanted to rank the Devils higher. If Jack Hughes is healthy, this team is a contender. Hughes, along with Swiss Army knife Nico Hischier, gives the Devils possibly the best duo in the league up the middle.
New Jersey is very reliant on special teams, as the Devils finished third in power play percentage and second in penalty killing last season. I think their only question is the health of Hughes, along with the fact I think they could use one more primary scorer in the top six. But if all goes well, there’s no reason the Devils can’t hoist the cup in June.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs
It looked like 2025 was going to be the Leafs’ year to end a nearly 60-year cup drought. Instead, they let a 2-0 series lead against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers vanish and suffered maybe their most heartbreaking playoff exit in the Auston Matthews era.
The Core Four is no more, as Mitch Marner was traded to Vegas. Twenty-two year old Matthew Knies, who had 58 points last season, is a prime breakout candidate and is expected to fill Marner’s spot on the top power play unit.
11. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings’ style of hockey is very reminiscent of the team that won Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. Their grinding, physical, two-way style wears down opponents and is a great method for playoff success.
The 2025-2026 season will be Anze Kopitar’s last, as the captain and two-time Stanley Cup champion announced he’s hanging up the skates after the season. The Kings brought in another Stanley Cup champion, Corey Perry, to solidify the bottom six and give Los Angeles more veteran experience when he returns from knee surgery.
12. St. Louis Blues
The hiring of Jim Montgomery midseason did wonders for this team. A franchise-record 12-game win streak propelled the team into the playoffs before losing to the President Trophy winner Winnipeg Jets in seven games in the first round.
St. Louis doesn’t have a top-tier superstar, but they have incredible depth and team chemistry. The one player who has the potential to take over a game at any given point is goalkeeper Jordan Binnington, whose game seven performance in the 2019 finals at TD Garden, along with the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off for team Canada at the same venue were sensational.
13. Washington Capitals
It may seem harsh putting the 111-point Capitals this low, but regression is inevitable, and I believe it could be a significant regression at that. Alex Ovechkin is now 40 years old, and I don’t think the greatest goal scorer of all time will score anywhere close to 44 goals again this season.
That also goes for Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas, who will not shoot 8 and 15 percent, respectively, over their career averages again. This especially goes for Protas, as he never shot above 9 percent before last season.
14. Montreal Canadiens
Martin St. Louis has built a fun-loving culture in Montreal. The young Canadiens are loaded with talent and are ready to make a name for themselves in 2025. The previous season was just a taste of what this team is capable of.
They are led by the blue-line core, consisting of Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson and young stud Noah Dobson, who was traded from the Islanders and signed to an eight year deal. The forward group is still a work in progress as a whole, but with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caulfield and highly-touted prospect Ivan Demidov leading the way, there is reason to be optimistic scoring will be much easier for the Habs this season.
15. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets were the feel-good story of the NHL last season, falling just two points short of a playoff berth after the tragic loss of Johnny Gaudreau before the season. I don’t believe Columbus’ 89 point season was a fluke at all, and I think they are poised for big things this season.
They’re led by Norris Trophy finalist Zach Werenski, who’s coming off a 23-goal, 82-point season. I love their top six, which has a nice blend of young stars such as Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantili, along with proven veterans Sean Monahan and captain Boone Jenner.
16. Minnesota Wild
Will Kirill Kaprizov live up to the $17 million a year the Wild are paying him? That remains to be seen, but extending him was a must. The 28 year old is a one-man show in Saint Paul, and Minnesota’s success in a tough division relies on him staying healthy.
The rest of the team shouldn’t be ignored, as the Wild reached the playoffs despite their star missing half the season. Kaprizov’s linemates, Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi, are both coming off career seasons and the trio once again should be one of the most formidable front lines in hockey.
17. Ottawa Senators
The Senators ended their eight year playoff drought in Travis Green’s first season behind the bench. The primary reason: incredible goaltending, something they haven’t had in a number of years, as Linus Ullmark and rookie Leevi Merilainen were everything Ottawa was hoping they’d be.
Ottawa is hoping for similar success this season. They’ve got a phenomenal young core, led by captain Brady Tkachuk and rising star center Tim Stutzle. Ironman Jake Sanderson is another rising star on the blue line.
18. New York Rangers
The Rangers’ sudden drop from President Trophy winners to missing the playoffs altogether can be attributed to their power play dropoff, as they went from fifth best in 2024 to fifth worst in 2025. Two time Stanley Cup champion coach Mike Sullivan was brought in from Pittsburgh, and he brings a no-nonsense mentality to the Big Apple.
The Rangers retooled their roster this offseason, with the headliner being the trade of longtime blueshirt Chris Kreider to Anaheim. However, New York also made a big splash in signing Vladislav Gavrikov. The big, physical blue liner will be a nice complement to the offensive-minded Adam Fox, and the pair should be one of the best in the league.
19. Utah Mammoth
In addition to their new name, the Utah Mammoth will look to soar to new heights this season. Utah quietly finished with 89 points last season. Unfortunately, their success was buried playing in a loaded Central division that many consider to be the best in the NHL.
They have an exciting young core, headlined by forwards Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther. The addition of JJ Peterka from Buffalo further solidifies a promising top six. It will be interesting to see how the goaltender situation plays out, especially after the trade of Connor Ingram to Edmonton.
20. Calgary Flames
The Flames surprised everyone by finishing last season with 96 points, and only missing out on the playoffs due to a tiebreaker with St. Louis. Calgary is a popular pick to regress in 2025, and it’s easy to see why.
This team is relatively old, and it’s hard to see guys like Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri have the level of production they did last year. That being said, Dustin Wolf is an outstanding young goaltender, and if he is as good as he was last year, Calgary will compete for a playoff spot, no matter how much they struggle to score.
21. Anaheim Ducks
Many people are seeming to ignore the Ducks’ 21-point improvement from 59 in 2024 to 80 in 2025. Anaheim has been stuck at the bottom of the Pacific division standings for the better part of the last decade. However, at long last, their rebuild appears to be nearing its end. Hiring three-time Stanley Cup champion coach Joel Quenneville was a home run move.
They have a young, up-and-coming forward core consisting of Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry and Mason McTavish. They added proven veterans Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund to solidify the top six and help out the young players. The defense is a work-in-progress, but they will be helped out by the emergence of goaltender Lukas Dostal, who received a five-year extension this offseason.
22. Detroit Red Wings
It's understandable why Red Wing fans are getting impatient with the Yzerplan. Detroit’s former captain and three-time Stanley Cup champion is entering his seventh season as the general manager, and the team is yet to make the playoffs under his tenure. They have been close the past couple years, but no cigar.
The Wings are counting on their fourth ranked power play unit from a season ago to repeat that success in 2025. On the contrary, if Detroit wants to compete for a playoff spot, they cannot have the worst penalty killing group in the league again.
23. Boston Bruins
The Bruin’s firesale at the 2025 trade deadline culminated in a last place finish in the Atlantic Division. While Boston is undoubtedly younger and cheaper now, it’s hard to see them competing with their lack of experience.
One guy they can count on to produce is star right-winger David Pastrnak. “Pasta” has played in every game over the last three seasons and scored at least 100 points in all of those years. They also need Jeremy Swayman to return to his 2024 form, when he had a .916 save percentage.
24. Vancouver Canucks
Last season was a complete nightmare for Vancouver. The well-documented drama between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson culminated in the trade of Miller. Following their first-place finish in the Pacific Division in 2024, they missed the postseason altogether in 2025.
The Canucks are counting on bounceback seasons from Pettersson and fellow forward Brock Boeser, who had 40 goals two seasons ago. Jake DeBrusk was brought in for more depth in the top six. The one sure thing in British Columbia is defenseman Quinn Hughes, who despite missing 14 games last year racked up 76 points.
25. New York Islanders
The Islanders are in a rebuilding phase, as longtime executive Lou Lamoriello’s contract was not renewed. They’ve been stuck in the mushy middle of the Metropolitan Division There certainly will be some growing pains this upcoming season.
Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, certainly brings excitement and much needed youth to this team, though Islander fans should tamper their expectations for him this season. Jonathan Drouin was a sneaky pickup in free agency, as the left-winger was an underrated contributor for Colorado the past two years.
26. Nashville Predators
Maybe it’s just me, but I see no world the Predators finish with the third worst record in the league again. The potential of this team is too hard to ignore, and I think we could see several guys return to their old form this season.
Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, both Stanley Cup champions, now have had a year in the system. Jusse Saros had his first season with a sub .900 save percentage since his rookie season, but I don’t expect that to happen again, especially for a guy who finished top five in Vezina Trophy voting the three seasons preceding 2025.
27. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers are in the process of a long, painful rebuild. It’s very possible things could get worse before they get better, and this upcoming season will likely be a result of that.
The offense is severely lacking, though Trevor Zegras, brought over from Anaheim in a trade, certainly helps raise the floor of the top six. It’s hard, though, to see Zegras single-handedly turn around one of the absolute worst power play units in hockey.
28. Buffalo Sabres
It’s hard to believe that three short seasons ago, the Sabres were one point away from qualifying for the playoffs, which would’ve ended a long drought that now spans fourteen seasons. The Sabres are stuck in a loaded Atlantic Division, and it’s hard to see them competing this season.
Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson are two stars Buffalo can rely on consistently, as long as both stay healthy. Alex Tuch is another important contributor on offense, but the forward core is now without J.J. Peterka, who was sent to Utah in an offseason trade.
29. Seattle Kraken
It’s usually not easy for expansion franchises early on, and the Kraken are a prime example. Outside of an outlier season in 2022-2023, Seattle has been toward the bottom of the Pacific Division standings.
The Kraken have already been hit hard by the injury bug, with several key players banged up as the start of the season nears. Kaapo Kakko, who produced 30 points in 49 games after being traded from the Rangers midseason, suffered a broken hand and will miss the first month of the season.
30. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins’ Stanley Cup window has been closed for quite a while now, as they have now missed the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. Many of this team’s veterans are past their primes, and it’s time for Pittsburgh to tear it down and begin a full-scale rebuild.
Sidney Crosby, one of the best to ever do it, continues to play at a high level well into his late 30s. I expect the other main headliners to be the young guys, specifically Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen. I also expect several veterans to garner interest at the trade deadline, and the Penguins should waste no time gathering picks and prospects to help foster the rebuild.
31. Chicago Blackhawks
It’s been a long time since the glory days of the early to mid 2010s for Chicago, as they have now not made the playoffs in a full season since 2016-2017. Their struggles will likely continue this year, as they sit at the bottom of the loaded Central Division.
Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar are two young forwards the Blackhawks will rely on to produce consistently. The Blackhawks have smartly surrounded their two young stars with reliable veterans as their linemates. Expect Bedard and Nazar to flash this season, and that should give Chicago some hope for the future.
32. San Jose Sharks
Similar to the Blackhawks, the Sharks have suffered a fall from grace, as they have missed the playoffs in six consecutive seasons. San Jose has committed to a full-scale rebuild, and there still is a lot of work to be done.
That being said, their prospect pool is certainly something to get excited about. Youngsters Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith will lead the way this season. To be honest, there’s not really much else to digest, as much of the other starters would be in the minors on most other teams. The Sharks are still several years away from competing in the West.
